


like old times... with a twist

by triggeringthehealing (froggydarren)



Series: FullmoonFiclet Entries [71]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Future Fic, Gen, M/M, New York setting, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2018-10-08 01:06:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10374378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/froggydarren/pseuds/triggeringthehealing
Summary: It's not that Derek is new to being arrested, or having handcuffs chafing his wrists. But he managed to stay away for a few years, since he left Beacon Hills. So when he's sitting in a police station, cuffed to the bench, it feels like old times and not in a good way. That is, until the lawyer he called for shows up.





	1. like old times... with a twist

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Full Moon Ficlet](http://fullmoon-ficlet.livejournal.com/474261.html) challenge on Livejournal - prompt #215: lawyer

It’s strange how familiar it feels to have the handcuffs around his wrists. It’s been  _ years _ since it last happened, and Derek knows that it shouldn’t feel almost comfortable. Nevertheless, he can’t help but feel like it’s been only yesterday since he was led into the Sheriff’s station in Beacon Hills, metal scraping his skin. 

It would be just as easy to get out of the cuffs now as he knew it would’ve been back then. However, just like then, he has no interest in either angering the deputies or revealing who he is and what he can do. So he sits on the bench, one hand fastened to its leg, the other free, to his own surprise. They clearly don’t see him as that much of a threat -- if only they knew -- but still have to keep appearances. 

When he was being arrested, Derek barely listened to the obligatory rights read to him, more familiar with them than he’d want. His right to stay silent was one he was planning to take seriously, but he just shrugged when the officer mentioned the part about a lawyer. Sure, he had the means  _ and _ the contacts of a good firm that he’d known of since before the fire, but he couldn’t for the life of him remember even one name from it because he hadn’t needed them in so long. The last time he did was when he was dealing with the leftovers of the Hale land ownership after it transferred to Beacon County. 

“Well, this is  _ not _ how I figured we’d see each other again,” a familiar voice reaches him, and Derek looks up sharply. “Hello, Mr. Hale. I’ll be your attorney in this case.”

Derek blinks, then he shakes his head, and then he blinks again at the smile that responds to his conclusion.

“Stiles?” 

“Mieczyslaw Stilinski, I’ve been sent here as per your phone call,” Stiles says, and his expression is a mix of several things that Derek’s can’t figure out. 

“Stiles,” Derek breathes out, still not quite believing his own eyes.

“Yep, that’s me,” Stiles says, looking back at the papers in his hand. “Now, before we have our lovely little reunion,” he glances up, “ _ please _ can you enlighten me how you ended up here for…  _ trespassing _ ?” 

“Ah,” Derek slumps in his seat. “Well, it turns out that when you don’t leave a public place after the owner tells you to, it’s considered trespassing under New York law. And I kind of… it was Laura’s ex, and…” 

Stiles’ whole expression softens when Derek mutters his explanation, and he sighs. 

“Stolen property?” Stiles asks a few beats and another glance at the paperwork later.

“Bullshit,” Derek grumbles. “He claimed he was the one who bought a rowan wood box that was actually my mother’s. He’s the one who took it from our apartment after I went to Beacon Hills. I was in his bar to get it back.” 

“ _ The _ box?” Stiles’ eyes widen.

Derek shakes his head. “He had that one too once upon a time. The Calaveras took it from him, but he had another one. It had the last few photos that we managed to gather after we moved here.” 

Stiles stays quiet for a while again, and looks down at the papers. 

“Okay, I can work with that,” he says later. “I’m not going to ask what the reckless endangerment charge was about, because it’s going to be thrown out once we get rid of the first two anyway. I’m gonna sort out bail. You’re good for that, right?”

Derek nods, his mind spinning a little. It’s not just the speed at which Stiles just rattled out the information, it’s also the fact that he’s  _ here _ . 

“I’ll be back in a few,” Stiles tells him, and turns on the spot, then heads towards the front desk, presumably to sort out getting Derek out on bail. 

It’s barely twenty minutes later when a deputy comes over to take off the handcuff from Derek’s wrist, and leads him to the front desk, where Derek signs his release forms and pays the -- surprisingly low -- bail charge. They head out the door together, and Derek tries to ignore the moments when his arm brushes against Stiles’. Neither of them speaks until they’re in the street. 

“So, lawyer…” Derek starts. “Not what I expected you to go into.”

“FBI requirement,” Stiles replies, smiling. “Didn’t think you’d be back in New York. You fell off the grid there for quite some time. Like, until now.”

“Yeah, I… I couldn’t go back,” Derek says. “When Braeden went, I didn’t follow. I visited Cora, tracked down some old family friends, got in touch with Isaac and Jackson, that kind of stuff. I know you guys had a shit time, but…” 

“No, I get it,” Stiles nods, “I would’ve left earlier if I could have. It’s better now, pack’s stable, Scott stayed close. But anyway, if we want to catch up,” he glances around them quickly, “we shouldn’t do it out in the open like this.”

Derek nods, but he’s not sure what exactly Stiles is hinting at. 

“Coffee?” Stiles asks, answering that mystery. “There’s a place just around the corner that has decent food too. If you want to, that is.”

There’s no hesitation in Derek’s “yes”. He’s curious about Beacon Hills, out of sheer nostalgia, but more than that, he wants Stiles to stick around for another while. If he’s honest, it’s more than just a while, but Derek’s not allowing himself to hope for too much. It has never served him well, after all.

“Come on then,” Stiles grins. “We can talk about how you were back in handcuffs, and maybe you can tell me if that’s become a habit since you left.”

Derek sputters in protest, but when Stiles laughs at his quiet outrage, Derek relaxes. When they start walking away from the station there’s a spark of hope that he’s way too aware of, and this time, he doesn’t stomp it down.


	2. haven't we been here before?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He just called for someone from the law firm, and expected to have hours before someone showed up. He really should've known better than to expect things to go the way he thinks they will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the [Full Moon Ficlet](http://fullmoon-ficlet.livejournal.com/495423.html) challenge on Livejournal - prompt #228: arrest

“Oh my god, seriously?” 

Derek slumps a little on the narrow bench. The old him, the one in Beacon Hills years ago, would have snarked back. Now, he just shrugs in defeat and doesn’t look up from the grimy and cold concrete floor beneath his feet. 

He knows the voice, of course, knows who it is currently mumbling low enough that even Derek has trouble hearing the words. And he knows the reason for the outrage in the words that were spoken out loud clearly. 

It’s how he met Stiles again after years of only thinking about the Beacon Hills pack, and about what he left behind when he decided to get in his car and drive away from La Iglesia. 

“We can’t keep meeting like this,” Stiles says, pulling Derek out of his thoughts. “This is… dude, if you want to see me you can just call, you know?”

The cell door opens, and Derek finally looks up. 

“Bail’s posted. I figured that since the firm gets the call, we also get to pay that. It’ll show up on the expense sheet,” Stiles tells him with a smirk on his lips. 

Derek nods and slowly gets up, then walks towards the open door. The deputy who opened it is looking between them with an expression that’s a mixture of jaded indifference and a hint of curiosity at their interaction. 

“Come on, you owe me coffee,” Stiles says.

“Oh? Why?” Derek asks before he can think twice about it. 

They walk down the hallway in silence, Stiles tight-lipped until they reach the reception and Derek gets handed his personal items. 

“It’s five a.m. I’m awake. It’s your fault. Thus, coffee. And possibly breakfast. Then, maybe, I’m going to consider letting you explain why you got arrested  _ again _ . And why it’s related to the same scumbag as last time,” Stiles says. 

A few beats pass, and Derek watches Stiles’ face for a hint of… something. 

“Okay,” he says eventually.

When Stiles’ face lights up with a smile brighter than five a.m. in New York really ever deserved, Derek figures he found what he was looking for.


	3. because it's you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It shouldn't be hard to explain. Still, Derek doesn't know if he can. But maybe he's not the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the [Full Moon Ficlet](http://fullmoon-ficlet.livejournal.com/497511.html) challenge on Livejournal - prompt #229: difficult

“So, what happened?” 

Derek sighs as he stirs the spoon in his coffee mug. They’re in a cafe close to the police station that Stiles just picked him up from, and while Stiles is on his second cup of caffeine, Derek is still staring into the first, wondering if it’s gone completely cold by now.

“It’s complicated,” he says. 

“Then uncomplicate it for me,” Stiles shoots back, face expressionless. 

Derek stays quiet. 

“Look, man,” Stiles says after a heavy sigh. “I’m not gonna judge. Hell, you know the shit I used to get into back in Beacon Hills. And I already know what the guy did the first time. We’ve been working on getting  _ everything _ back, not just the box with the photos of you and Laura and… everyone.” 

“I know,” Derek says. “It’s just…”

“You weren’t supposed to be near him,” Stiles tells him, disapproval ringing through his voice. “This isn’t going to make our case easier.”

“It’s not like I did it on purpose!” 

“Then why the restraining order violation?” 

Derek takes a few calming breaths, then looks up at Stiles.

“He came to Laura’s place again,” he says. “He had a bag with him, and I’m guessing it was all the stuff that he was supposed to return. Probably wanted to claim that he never had any of it.”

“What an asshole,” Stiles says. “He needs to be locked up.”

“Is that your professional legal opinion, Mr. Stilinski?” Derek asks with amusement.

There’s something warm that settles in his stomach when he realises that Stiles is willing to fight for him, for Laura’s memory, for everything that Derek holds dear. He knew this before, of course, but it was mostly theoretical. 

“Oh shut up, you know I’m right,” Stiles mutters. “But I’m glad I amuse you.”

“It’s not that hard,” Derek says.

“It used to be,” Stiles replies. “I used to try to get you to smile back then. I’m not sure you knew.”

“I didn’t.” Derek narrows his eyes, and then asks, because he can’t figure it out. “Why?”

A blush spreads across Stiles’ cheeks, and maybe that’s all the answer that Derek needs to get. Maybe the answer is the same as the reason why he’s been  _ trying  _ to be funny around Stiles since the time that Stiles walked into the police station and declared that he was Derek’s lawyer. 

“Because it’s you,” Stiles does answer eventually. “Because you should’ve smiled more. Because I thought… still do… that you deserve to be happy.” 

And yes, there it is. Not difficult or complicated, after all.


	4. sounds like a date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next time they meet—the conversation from the coffee shop after the last time Stiles bailed him out of jail still lingering in Derek's mind—it's not in a police station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WiP Week contribution - favourite WiP.

The next time they meet—the conversation from the coffee shop after the last time Stiles bailed him out of jail still lingering in Derek's mind—it's not in a police station. It's in court, and Stiles is in a suit, looking like he barely knows Derek. It takes a few beats for Derek's world to readjust from where it's tilted a little sideways, not just from the coolness of Stiles's demeanor but also from the sight of him in a suit that looks tailored and expensive. 

It doesn't need to be said that he's better off keeping his mouth shut in the courtroom unless he's on the stand. Which is where he doesn't end up, after all, the charges against him dropped and some new ones raised against Laura's ex thanks to Stiles's intervention and levelheaded approach. The guy protests but the judge only warns him to keep quiet or he'll get to deal with a lot more than charges of theft and everything else that's been raised against him. 

When everyone leaves, Derek follows Stiles out into the hallway, head dipped but a smile on his face when it's not him who's brought away in cuffs. 

"So, you're good at this," he tells Stiles when they're the only ones left standing outside the courtroom. "I'm not surprised that you are," he says quickly when Stiles opens his mouth, presumably to protest, "I just never saw you as someone who'd be doing  _this_. I thought if anything, you'd be catching people to bring them here." 

"Well, that is the end goal," Stiles says as he sits down on one of the benches. "But one of the conditions of the program I'm in is to know the law and work this side of the process. So that we know the importance of evidence, chain of custody, and everything else that can make or break a case."

"Sounds like a good program."

"It is," Stiles says, nodding. "Would you believe it was actually Scott's Dad who helped me get in?" 

Derek shakes his head. He's never really met Rafael—he tells Stiles this—but he's heard enough about him to know that it was something unexpected. 

"Turns out he's known about all the—" Stiles makes a gesture that Derek figures are supposed to be raised claws, "—and he's been working on creating a division for these things." 

"Isn't there already something like X-files in the bureau?" Derek asks, sitting down by Stiles's side. 

"I didn't ask," Stiles says, then quickly adds "yet" when Derek throws him a surprised and curious glance. "This one will be special clearance and recruiting people already in the know, obviously. Though I figure at some point there might be people who need an intro class on furry things and stupid trees on top of ley lines." 

Derek nods in understanding and then... then he's lost for anything else to say. The last two times they saw each other, they ended up going for coffee. But that was early in the morning, with Stiles in very informal clothes and barely awake, acting like a lawyer only until the moment when they walked out of the police station that Derek had been held in at the time. 

He wonders if now is a good time, or if it's a different situation and he shouldn't try his luck. In the end, he decides to be professional about it, to treat Stiles as the lawyer he obviously is today. 

"So, thank you for everything in there," he says with a nod towards the courtroom when he stands up. "I would say something about next time, but—"

"Here's hoping there isn't one," Stiles interrupts, then cringes and hastens to explain. "I mean, not in here, not you being in trouble and needing me to get your ass out of whatever charges. Not that I don't want to ever see you again, because man, I want to. I really do. I've wanted to... I've wondered where you could be since you left, pretty much. Hoped that you'd either come back or that I'd find you somewhere away from our hometown. Shit, sorry," he finishes, sounding a little out of breath. "Rambling. Shutting up now, I swear."

"It's fine," Derek tells him, hoping Stiles doesn't catch on to the fond tone in his voice. 

"No, it's not. I mean, I have been better about this, not talking as much as I used to. But I guess you bring out the parts of me I've tried to make less obvious," Stiles says, finally standing up too. 

"So, uh, coffee?" 

It's a simple question, but somehow it sounds like it's carrying the weight of something  _bigger_ , something more important. 

"Or I could take you out for dinner," he adds when Stiles doesn't answer. 

"Like, for getting you out of those charges? Because I'm pretty sure the compensation for that is going to be fantastic, if the pay for my two ventures to bail you out are anything to go by," Stiles rambles again. 

"That depends," Derek tells him. 

"On what?"

"On whether that's what you want. Because we can do that, but then we should probably call Lily too," Derek says, his mind on the research assistant who worked on his case with Stiles. "But if you'd want it to be just us..." 

"Sounds an awful lot like a date," Stiles says. "Which would be awesome. I would absolutely be on board for dating-looking activities."

"But?" 

"Yeah. But." Stiles takes a deep breath. "Technically, this case isn't officially closed until the end of today. And that will only happen if there's nothing that needs to be dealt with, nothing that would bring us back here."

Derek knows where Stiles is going before he says it out loud.

"That said, once you're no longer officially my client, we can play catch up on all the dates we can't go on right now?" 

"I'd like that," Derek tells Stiles, the corners of his lips threatening to rise into a smile. 

"So, once everything is filed away and closed..."

"Call me. I'll call  _you_  in case I end up in cuffs again," Derek tells him and grins when Stiles's cheeks color a little. 

"We'll talk about how comfortable you seemed to be in those." 

"Had a lot of practice," Derek tells him, grinning. "You should know."

"Hey, I didn't get you arrested nearly enough times for you to  _like_  handcuffs.”

“That implies that you’re the only one who ever got me arrested,” Derek says, still grinning. "I'll tell you about the other times on the date," he adds when Stiles looks at him with obvious curiosity. 

"Right. So, I'll call you when this is wrapped and I've requested to be removed from your file, so as to avoid any future complications to this dating thing," Stiles says, sounding rambly and flustered. 

Derek nods and then slowly walks away, letting his nose take in all the scents that are coming off Stiles, even as Derek keeps walking further. He can't help the soft smile that appears on his face when he catalogs all the chemosignals in the air. He's glad that he got the nerve to—however clumsily—ask Stiles to dinner. Now he just needs to wait. 

**Author's Note:**

>   
> [my tumblr](http://froggydarren.tumblr.com/) || [my sterek fic tumblr](http://triggeringthehealing.tumblr.com/)  
> 


End file.
